[MisterO]

So I'm starting this build thread to keep track of the steps I take and also to show off my new (to me) 1997 Dark Blue TJ.
I've seen and read through many different peoples build threads and enjoyed very much and also learned many new things, and I hope mine will be here for viewers to enjoy and possibly learn from.

Now about the Jeep,
Its a 97 Sport with 30" tires , I6 , Ax-15, and it has 73,000 miles on it.
I got a really good deal on it being that its from my fiances Dad
So it was just dropped off a few days ago at my house after sitting in Taos,NM for almost 2 years its a shame it sat but now its time to be taken care of.

So I can't post pictures right now and nor do I want to because its so dirty but I will hopefully this week.
I'm not sure yet if I'm gonna write the issues and things I need help with in my build thread just to keep it from clutter or to post on tech so I shall see. But put it this way I have a nice list of problems and issues that need to be addressed soon!
I hope you all enjoy this and please ask away. And also if you see I say and/or do something that's not correct please correct me and help me out.
Thank you!

[MXCarson92]

Great! Can't wait to see some pics.

[DixiesCJ3B]

Thats awesome, post some pics when you get it cleaned up. also i would change your fluids and plugs before you start it up cause of sitting so long

[csouers]

c'monnnn. Post the dirty pics. Of the jeep of course...cause that'd be wierd.
Thats a great solid base vehicle to start on. Low mileage on the best engine ever made. Congrats on the find.

[MisterO]

Originally Posted by MXCarson92

Great! Can't wait to see some pics.

. I have some I took with my blackberry but I'll wait to post some with a real camera. Keep an eye out they should be on by Monday.

Originally Posted by DixiesCJ3B

Thats awesome, post some pics when you get it cleaned up. also i would change your fluids and plugs before you start it up cause of sitting so long

. I was to anxiousand couldn't wait and just started it right up.... But it's been started over that time just didn't get much use, so I'm not too worried, and anyhow it started right up and ran like a champ:

Originally Posted by twmsdude

c'monnnn. Post the dirty pics. Of the jeep of course...cause that'd be wierd.
Thats a great solid base vehicle to start on. Low mileage on the best engine ever made. Congrats on the find.

okey dokey I'll try for Monday (before I clean it)... And this is not my first jeep I had two XJs before so I'm familiar with the I6. Love it!

Thanks guys for the compliments!

[MisterO]

Wow its been a while.. had some problems here and there (jeep thing) i had the problems posted in the tech but now I'm moving back here to continue my build thread before it goes really deep into the archives. lol

Anyway i finally got a minute to snap some pictures of the Jeep. Eventhoug they ain't to good , you get the idea its a JEEP!
So in the past little bit i had an issue with a mechanic who worked on my uJoints and broke something else but now that pretty much over. and i pretty much swore to do my own work no matter what it take for me to do it!!
oh and just this weekend i got two tickets for "Improperly displayed plates" i gotta fight it because i have no holder in the back so i put it in the back window.. well POPO don't like that so i got not one but TWO tickets for it..

So back to my jeep. i now mounted the plates properly on the front and back and hope for no more tickets

As you can see there is tub damage on the drivers side rear which I'm planning on smacking out and covering with armor but i gotta figure out how to do it.. and its gonna havta wait until it warms up out,
So here are the few pictures of the Jeep as it sits right now.

A few things on my list of repair/upgrade.
-Sand and paint all wheels.
-Sand and paint mirror brackets.
-Repair back tub damage.
-Install Warn front bumper with daylighters.
-Pull carpet, line floor. and replace carpet.
-Replace broken head unit.
-Undercoat the bottom of jeep (NY winters Suck)
-Open doors up and oil/grease moving parts.
-Tint windows.
-Fix rust on rear of tub.
-Replace serpentine belt.

Thats all i can think of now. but im sure there is more..

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After thats taken care of and i have a few dollars i plan to get the 2.5 RC lift and possibly 32's.

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and the corner that needs repair..

[Brandon97TJ]

I had a ton of stuff to fix on my Jeep when I first got it too, but once that's all taken care of, it's all fun and games from there. Just make sure you keep up with your Jeep and make repairs as you go!

Nice jeep! Can't wait to see you put some mods on

[MisterO]

So this morning after being a bit bored i decided to take my Jeep around to the back yard and hop up onto a small rock in the yard... Well sure enough I'm up on it with one wheel and i get out to look and i see its fully drooped.. i said uh oh i don't have disconnects. lol
well if you look at the picture you can see i broke the little bushing or whatever it was.. lol well guess its time for a small upgrade now (some disco's)
Question: if I'm planning on putting a 2.5 lift on eventually can i put discos on for a 2-4 in lift?? or do i havta get adjustable ones?

Heres the little carnage from the backyard.




Then i figured let me get the pix of the little flex











Enjoy! let me know what ya think

[Brandon97TJ]

Yea go ahead and get the disco's for 2-4". The angle won't be good at first but once you lift it, your sway bar angle will be back to norm

[shanedougherty]

Amazing what disconnecting the sway bar will do for flex and let you get that much further on the trail.

[MisterO]

Originally Posted by shanedougherty

Amazing what disconnecting the sway bar will do for flex and let you get that much further on the trail.

Well ya see how far it dropped the wheel without it connected. lol but its broke now..

Originally Posted by Brandon97TJ

Yea go ahead and get the disco's for 2-4". The angle won't be good at first but once you lift it, your sway bar angle will be back to norm

It will be on an angle due to an inch or two longer but will that affect the stability?? (truth be told i feel no difference now since only one side broke)

[MisterO]

Well its been a bit and i havent updated..

so for the things ive done since, are not that much but.. i removed milk jugs, replaced broken headunit with a CD/Tape/Radio from craigslist, replaced speakers in soundbar with Sony 5.25's , Repaired the rear wiper switch, started wiring up my daylighters that are on my Warn bumper (which should go on soon), replaced light bulb in corner light. i think thats about all for now.. Also i had an hour of warmth last friday so i took off the top, then i took off the doors too.

ill post some pics of whatever i can so you can see, as i love when people post pics of their progress.

im starting slow and trying to repair things and upgrade slowly after.. i hope to be ordering the 2.5 Rough Country lift soon and then maybe some 32's just gotta find a good deal.




And the topless one.. sucked because i took it off and suddenly a huge rain cloud came over.. but it was worth it and extremely enjoyable (frist time taking it off)

Salt from this snow storm.. damn salt kills.. but ya get to soo the removed milg jugs..



And thats all for now. hope you enjoy.
please all ideas welcome.

[MisterO]

Well I'm glad to see nobody really pays attention to my build lol...

So in the past week a few things happened that i thought i might mention for anyone who cares to see and if not i will enjoy posting for myself..
So i will post pictures below of the changes but the few that went down were as follows. I wanted a soft top for the summer because taking off the top and putting it back on is a hassle and also worries me due to a sudden downpour fear.. so first i bought a Hoist for it with a winch and what not , which is really nice and makes the job so much easier. but i still wanted a soft top this way i can just pull it back up in case of a little drizzle.. so i decided to sell my hard top and use the funds to buy a soft top. Well sure enough i found a buyer for 650$ and he came to pick it up.. Well smart me didn't get a soft top yet..
So after this real nice guy bought my hard top i was left with nothing but a blue tarp to cover my jeep and its like 35 degrees out.... so i went on to craigslist where i just sold mine and started lookin for anything, so sure enough i found a 2000 hard top but with tinted windows and rear defrost for 650$ so i drove out like 35 miles and picked it up just a few hours later (pics below) so i am extremely happy about that because i wanted tinted windows and no rear defrost annoyed me so now i have both. But still that doesn't solve the fact that i want a soft top. Well sure enough the guy i sold the hard top too said i can have his and all the hardware for FREE!! cant beat that. so I'm gonna go this week and pick that up from him and use that (he said it leaks a drop in the front but thats good enough for me!
Next i had some rust on the driver side rocker so i decided to address that asap,, now instead of taking that chrome crap and covering it like alota guys do, i sanded it down and used 3M undercoat which turned out really nicely. i also removed that front plastic ad on flare.. (but now left with three holes). so to me it looks great (pics below) and hopefully soon i can save up enough to throw on full rocker guard/sliders and it'll cover that all.

So i think thats about all Ive done recently.

New (to me) hard top. And some clean Jeep pics..




And the Newly painted rockers and removed flare..





ENJOY

[1997_Sport]

looks good.

[MisterO]

Originally Posted by laxncj18

looks good.

Thank you kind sir.